


The Dark Wood

by NorthernStar



Series: Jesse's Journey [3]
Category: Diagnosis Murder
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-13
Updated: 2012-05-13
Packaged: 2017-11-05 07:18:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/403810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthernStar/pseuds/NorthernStar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's feelings become increasingly entangled as he helps Jesse face up to his past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dark Wood

**Author's Note:**

> The story begins 2 days after "...Tell Me Yours."

Steve slipped into the warm  hospital after Collins had left; knowing the staff was so familiar with his presence that he wouldn’t be challenged.

David Leeson was sitting up in bed, staring out the window.His light olive skin was marred with large bruises and deep cuts, but what disturbed Steve the most was the look of utter defeat in his eyes.

“Mr Leeson?”Steve held out his badge.“I was hoping I could ask you a few questions.”

“I already told the other guy.I don’t remember.”

Steve knew that was victim-speak for being too afraid to talk.All he could do was hope the man found the courage to speak out after a few days rest.“I’d like you to think back to before the attack, a day, two… Was there anything that happened?Did you receive any threats?”

“Threats? You mean, bar the usual?”

“Usual?”

“My partner and I just moved here from  Queens .Some of the neighbours have objected to us.”He chuckled bitterly.“Guess we might lower the house prices or something.”

“Did any of them-”

“No.A few kids pelted the door with eggs and some bastard put dog shit in our mailbox, but this…No.”

“Did you report that?”

“What could you have done?Truth is, most people don’t care for the problems of a couple of fags, cops included.”He sighed.“You get used to it.”

“No-one should have too.”

Mark entered the room and frowned at his son.“I’m afraid you’ll have to go.He needs to rest.”

Steve nodded and took a card from his pocket.“If you think of anything…”

“Sure.”

******

Steve filed his report in almost record time.He was anxious to get home.

To Jesse….

The young doctor was still staying with the Sloan’s while he recovered from a nasty bout of flu.And just as they cliché went, the doctor did make a terrible patient; he was getting antsy and bored.Steve took that as a good sign that he was on the mend.

There was another reason, beyond the increasing pleasure he took in Jesse’s company, for his desire to return home.He and Jesse needed to talk.

Jesse, at a low ebb from sickness and overwork, had confided something that he probably wouldn’t have under normal circumstances.But once told, it could not be untold and Steve was anxious to hear the whole story.

Jesse was sitting up on the veranda with a medical journal on his lap.His face was pale and drawn, but the ease with which he greeted Steve showed just how much he’d healed - on the inside as well as out.

“Hey.”

“You look better.”

Jesse nodded.“I feel better.”

“Have you eaten?”

He looked evasive.“Mark made me some toast.”

Steve guessed that ‘ _made’_ wasn’t the same as ‘ _eat_.’“I’ll make some pancakes.”He said firmly and went into the kitchen.If Jesse objected, he didn’t hear it.

Steve busied himself making the pancakes and pouring juice.He liked cooking for someone and didn’t get the chance very often. 

Jesse was staring out at the ocean when he returned, carrying a large stack of pancakes and a jug of syrup.They sat down at the table and Jesse helped himself to the smallest pancake.He sat poking at it for a while before he noticed Steve staring at him.

“Sorry.”He said quietly.

“Its OK, guess you haven’t got you’re appetite back yet.”

“No…”

Steve watched him pick a piece of pancake up and nibble it.He went to speak but Jesse beat him to it.

“I’m sorry.”

The words, and their sincerity, surprised him.Not eating hardly ranked up there with grand theft and treason.

Jesse’s eyes flickered on his a moment and then away.“I mean, for…um, being a jerk over…what you told me.”

“Jess, I meant what I said the other night.It’s OK. I understand.”

The doctor blushed at the reference to their previous conversation and shifted nervously in his chair.“Yeah, um, about that…”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“No…no, I want to.”He began mechanically eating his pancake, which was now cold and rubbery, needing the distraction.“Mickey was… his mom and mine were friends.He was 3 years older but we…we were friends”

******

** Summer, 1983. **

The radio was playing  Jackson at full blast, but even that was drowned out by the whoops and yells made by the group of teens tossing around in the pool.Jesse watched them, lounging in the sun, steadily turning a bright lobster red despite the copious application of factor 15 sunscreen.Mickey had given him one of the cans of beer he’d brought along and he’d drunk half for appearance sake.Mickey was on his third.

Jesse noticed he was burning and got up.He went indoors and took the opportunity to raid the ‘fridge.Mickey followed him.

“Hey, don’t go into the lounge, OK?Jaime’s got  Petra in there.”Mickey leered, “betcha they’re screwing.”

Jesse couldn’t stop his eyes from immediately going to the closed lounge door.He wondered if he listened against it, if he’d hear any noises.

A rush of 13-year-old hormones embarrassed him and he was glad that the breakfast bar stood between him and Mickey.

“You wanna peak?”Mickey asked.

He did, but it wasn’t something he was about to admit.And anyway, that would mean moving and right now, he wasn’t going anywhere.He shook his head.

His friend shrugged.“Seen it all anyway.”

Jesse felt his ‘problem’ ease off and he distracted himself from thinking about what was going on in the next room by opening the ‘fridge and staring in.

Mickey watched him, sipping his fourth beer.“Mom keeps the ice cream at the back.”

Jesse grinned at him and reached to the very back of the enormous ‘fridge.He grabbed the tub hiding behind a large selection of yoghurts.

“Ben and Jerry’s!” Jesse said and went to fetch a couple of spoons.The cutlery drawer was closer to the lounge door than the ‘fridge and Jesse could hear faint moans in the distance.

Maybe it was  Petra …or Jaime…

Maybe it was outside…

Jesse became aware of Mickey standing right behind him and guessed he was listening too.He turned to share a couple of dirty jokes at the moaner's expense and found Mickey’s nose a bare few centimetres from his hair.

Mickey was staring at him, head slightly tilted, lips just a little parted.He leaned in.

Jesse felt Mickey's mouth touch his and another rush of hormones brought his earlier embarrassment back with a vengeance.Mickey moved closer, could probably feel him, and he moved his lips over Jesse’s, his tongue brushing his.It felt just like with Maria Appleton at summer camp last year and yet radically, excitingly different.

“God, you’re fucking faggots!”

They both jumped apart; Mickey pushing Jesse away so hard that he stumbled and sank to the floor.

“You sick pervs!” Phil was yelling, looking like he wanted to be sick.

Mickey took immediate advantage of his position and kicked Jesse in the ribs before the boy could say anything.“That’s for…trying to do me!Pervert!”

Denny entered the kitchen, drawn by the yelling.“Whatsup?”

“Jess tried to fag Mick.”Phil spat.

Jesse struggled to his feet, clutching his aching chest.He opened his mouth to explain but Mickey shoved him down.His head connected dizzyingly against the ‘fridge.“Shoulda guessed you were a faggot.Girlie name, yeah, you’d wanna do it girlie style…” He grabbed Jesse’s shoulder, pulled him to his feet.“Get the fuck away from me, you stinking queer!”

Phil grabbed his arm, shoved him towards the door.“Go find a another one of you shit-heads to fill your arse!”He yelled, and made a show of wiping his hand clean on his shorts.

Terrified, Jesse turned and ran.He tore up the road until his chest heaved for air and he stumbled to a halt.

Safe now, the adrenaline calmed and faded.Then he began to cry.

*****

Jesse drained his juice, his face as pale as the sand behind him.Steve noticed that his hands shook, just a little.

“Pretty soon it was all over school.”He continued, “lost count of the times my locker got busted into.My work went missing… name calling, and sometimes it was more than that.”

“More?”

“Bruises, cuts, cigarette burns.”He chuckled, “now you know why I got into medicine.”

Steve didn’t join him in his laughter.He stared at Jesse in quiet shock.

“How long did that go on for?”

“It ended when I graduated and went to college.”

Steve felt sick.That was years… “Didn’t you tell anyone?They could have stopped it.”

Jesse looked down.“I didn’t… Mom was still getting over the divorce.And I could handle it on my own.”

“Jesse, you’re talking about bullying.”

“It wasn’t like that.”He shook his head; “it was…a misunderstanding.It just got outta hand.”

“Out of hand?Jesse, you said they burned you with cigarettes!That’s not any kind of misunderstanding, that’s a form of torture!”

The shrill ring of the phone cut off any reply Jesse might have made.Steve returned Jesse’s stare evenly, then broke off.

“I have to get that.”He said and walked indoors.He yanked the receiver up and said a terse ‘Sloan’ down it.

“Collins.” Came the reply.“Leeson came through for us.He recognised one of the mugshots. Simon Teal, we pulled his sheet.Guys got a previous as long as your arm.You want in on the arrest?”

“What the address?”

Collins told him and Steve jotted it down before hanging up.He looked over at Jesse.“I have to go.”He paused, pressed a hand on Jesse’s shoulder.“I’m glad you told me.”

******

It was pretty late when Steve returned to the beach house.The sky had darkened and the moon was visible as a bright half-circle.He walked straight out onto the veranda and realised with a wave of disappointment that the shadow standing there, staring out to sea, was too tall and broad to be Jesse.

“Hey, Dad.”

Mark turned, smiling.“Steve.”

“Where’s Jesse?”

“At the hospital.”

For one brief, frightening moment, Steve misunderstood.Then reality sunk in.Of course he was at the hospital.Working.

“You look tired.”His father said.

Steve shook his head, “just…frustrated.”He sat himself in the chair Jesse had been sitting in earlier.“We got a positive ID on the Bay area case.We arrested him and two of his victims picked him outta the line-up.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah, but we’ve nothing to link him to his victims.He hasn’t met them through work, leisure, childcare, schools, nothing.He doesn’t even live in the Bay.Now the DA says we don’t have enough evidence to charge him with the murder of Ryan Keegan.”

“Do you think he did it?”

“Pretty much. But there were no witnesses and the body was clean of all but a few knitted fibres from fabrics half of LA wears.And we didn’t even find any matching garments at his apartment.”

“Is there any possibility he didn’t do it?”

“He’s got a string of convictions in other states for assaulting gays and lesbians, including one count of diminished manslaughter that was thrown out of court when one of the witnesses changed her plea.Detectives on that case were fairly sure she was being threatened.”

“Do you want me to look it over?”

Gratitude lifted the tiredness from Steve’s face.“I’d appreciate that.But to be honest, I don’t think there’s anything there to find.”

Mark stood up, “coffee?”

Steve nodded and they walked into the kitchen.Mark began setting out mugs and opening a packet of biscotti.The silence was comfortable and comforting and Steve’s mind wandered back to his conversation with Jesse.

He wished he could talk about it with his father, whose insights he valued over almost anything else, but it felt like betraying Jesse’s confidence.What the young doctor had told him had the ring of something never talked about, never thought about, never examined.It had stayed hidden under a layer of pain until Steve had sat in front of him and confessed to being gay.And brought all those memories back; it was hardly surprising Jesse had reacted the way he had.

And yet it answered a question about Jesse that Steve had been unable to reconcile with the intern’s outward calm and control.Jesse, despite being a very competent doctor and a confident person, would let complete strangers push him out of the way, stand over him, intimidate him, and not do a thing in his own defence.

And now Steve knew why.It was familiar territory for Jesse, and he probably didn’t know how to react any other way.

“You know, I’m pretty sure I have a penny ‘round here somewhere.”

Steve looked over at his father.“Hmm?”

“For your thoughts.”

He smiled.“They’re not worth that much.”

Mark did his best to look casual.“Is it Jesse?”

His father knew him so well.“Sometimes it feels like we’ll never get past…me.”

“Just…be careful.”Mark said, “I don’t want to see you get hurt.Either of you.”

“It’ll be fine.”He said, getting up.“Good night, Dad.”

******

Steve lay awake long into the night, unable to relax enough to sleep.Thoughts of Jesse, now and as a frightened boy, plagued him.And one image kept returning to him, again and again despite his numerous attempts to push it away.

Jesse lying pale and sweaty with fever in bed, naked except for a pair of cotton briefs.Each time the picture was a little different, until the rosy flush of fever in his cheeks had become the blush of arousal.

Steve felt his flesh respond to his fantasy and his mind fixated on the image of Jesse in his bed, smooth skin disappearing under the cool sheets. Sandy blonde hair flopping in his eyes, hooded and dark with passion; lips parted, ready to be plundered and possessed.

Steve’s heartbeat thundered in his chest; reverberated in his ears.He groaned quietly and gave in to the needs and demands of his body.His hand slipped lower to grip his own aching length and he concentrated on the fantasy Jesse, imaged that the large hand that began to stroke up and down was the doctor’s instead of his own.

Finally given lease, his desires ran riot and within minutes, he gasped Jesse’s name once as his body spasmed gloriously.

******

Mark flicked casually through the thick police file in his hands, aware of detective Collins increasing annoyance at having yet another Sloan double check his work.He could hardly blame the kid for his frustration.It probably wasn’t doing his ego, or his professional confidence, any good to be constantly second-guessed by his elders.

Mark felt the need to apologise again as he put the file down and picked up another.

Another detective slouched over and leaned into Collins personal space.“Sorry to waste ya time, Doc.”He said.

“Not at all.” Mark replied, and peered over his reading glasses at the newcomer.His nametag said ‘Devetti’, a name he heard Steve mutter on occasion, and not with any good will.“I see the forensic report on Keegan’s clothing was declared unsafe.”

“Yeah,” Devetti chuckled, “Collins here didn’t bag ‘em right, and they got contaminated by just about every handler in LA on the way to the lab.”

Collins squared his shoulders.“I did it right.I dunno how they popped open.”

“Just dumb luck, I guess.”Devetti sneered.

“For Teal.” Said Mark.“Without that evidence there’s nothing to tie him to the Keegan murder.He’ll likely walk with a couple of years for assault instead of facing death row.”

******

Later that day, Mark entered one of the hospital rooms and saw David Leeson putting the last of his belonging in his bag and zip it up.

“David, I’m glad I caught you.Steve wanted me to thank you for him.”

“A thank you for being a human punching-bag?” He smiled, “well, he’s welcome.”

“For being brave enough to name the guy who did this.And to promise to testify against him in court.”

The smile fell off David’s face.“Brave, stupid; pretty much amounts to the same thing.”He looked down.“I broke the rules, Dr Sloan.”

“Rules?”

“The survivor rules. Do whatever you have to, just survive.He told me to keep my eyes shut and I didn’t.I looked.”

“And you were able to recognise him.Your actions mean no-one else will be have to go through what you did and you’ve probably saved someone’s life.”

“There are plenty more people who think the way he does.D’you know how many times I’ve scrubbed graffiti off of the house?”

“Then call the police.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m real safe with the cops.They’re worse bigots.”

“Some maybe, but not-”

“One of my neighbours is a cop.He started a petition that got me thrown out of the Big Brother’s programme.And I’m pretty sure it was his dog’s shit that ended up over my mail.”

“Who?”

“Carl something. Italian sounding, I think.”

“Carlo Devetti?”

David nodded.“Yeah.”

******

Steve made his way through the corridors of Community General.He was on a lunch break and the urgency of seeing Jesse again had driven him to spend it here.

He asked the nurse on duty at the desk where he was and she pointed him towards the doctor’s lounge.Which was empty.Disappointed, he went to leave, but stopped.Taking a chance, Steve quietly opened the door of the sleep room and peered in.As soon as he saw the messy tangle of honey blonde hair on the pillow, he went to close the door.

Jesse sat up, rubbing his eyes.“I’m not asleep.Is it Conroy?Is he outta O…” He saw Steve.“…R.Steve! Hi.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“No, that’s OK.If you’re looking for your dad, he’s in surgery.”Jesse stood up, pulled on his white coat over his scrubs and pushed his feet into his shoes.

Steve noticed the drawn, sunken skin on Jesse’s normally smooth face.He probably still wasn’t eating.Flu had done that to Steve once, when the depression over a friend’s murder had allowed the virus to run riot.Three weeks down the line, when he’d begun eating again, he found he’d lost over 10 pound.

Jesse didn’t have that to lose.

“I came by to ask dad to have lunch, but since he’s not available, you wanna join me?”

A week ago he wouldn’t have felt comfortable saying that, and hearing such an offer might have sent the confused doctor running.Not so now…

Jesse smiled, “sure.”

When they got to the cafeteria, Steve ordered a double cheeseburger, a large plate of fries, a huge chocolate shake and an apple.

Jesse just got a banana.

“That’s all?”

Jesse looked sheepish and obviously decided a lie was best.“I’ve already eaten.”

“You lie badly.”

“Not you too. I had you’re dad on my case as well.Look, I haven’t got my appetite back yet.It happens.But I’m keeping my energy levels up with frequent carbs,” and at this he waved the fruit, “and taking in liquid every coupla hours so I don’t get dehydrated, OK?”

“OK.”

That settled, they found an empty table at the back and sat down.Steve had finished both the burger and the fries by the time Jesse had munched half the banana.

Steve watched his friend a moment, then wiped his mouth with a napkin.“Look, Jess, I wanted… I’ve been thinking, about what you told me.”

Jesse’s shoulders tensed perceptibly.“Forget it.”He said, “It’s OK.”

“I don’t think it is.”He sighed.“I know I was never bullied, at least not violently, not like what you described and certainly not for long, but I know-”

“Steve, I wasn’t bullied!”He snapped.“Now can we just drop this?”

“No.And if it wasn’t bullying, what was it?How do you justify it?”

Jesse fumbled over a response, looking more and more like a cornered animal.

“You can’t think you somehow caused it!”

The look of complete horror on the young man’s face told Steve he’d accidentally hit paydirt.

He frowned; unable to comprehend what he’d learned.“You think it was you’re fault, don’t you?”

*****

The question hung in the air between them and Jesse felt terribly, horribly tricked.Whatever he said, however he replied, it would be like falling into a trap Steve had baited.

So he did what he’d done with his tormentors, long ago.He ran.

Steve’s longer legs caught up with him easily, just as _they_ always did.Only where Steve’s firm grip pulling him to a halt was gentle, theirs had been tight and brutal.

Steve turned him to face him.“It wasn’t your fault, Jesse.”He told him.“Nothing you did caused it.Nothing you did deserved it.”

The look in Steve’s eyes was so convincing.And convinced.Steve truly believed he wasn’t to blame.

It felt like absolution.

But no… “You weren’t there.”He insisted, and hated the pitch of his voice, scared and disbelieving.

“I didn’t have to be.Jesse, no-one has the right to hurt another, no matter what they’ve done, no matter what they _think_ they’ve done.”He fixed Jesse’s eyes with his own.“You were bullied, Jesse.You have nothing to be ashamed of.Your friend couldn’t cope with his own doubts about his sexuality and he covered them up by projecting them onto you.And then he used his friends to make you suffer for it in his place.”He shook him gently.“It wasn’t you.”

Something inside Jesse broke; a wall crumpled, and the pain it hid flooded him.He choked on the sudden intense rush of sorrow and relief that washed over him.Tears began to fall and his body shook with the effort to hold it all in.

He felt arms slip around him, stroking, tightening and heard Steve whisper ‘shh, its OK’ in his ear.The soft fabric against his cheek smelt of musk and cologne; he didn’t care who it was, or what errant thoughts flowed just out of reach at the back of his mind, he just pressed into the warmth and comfort that had never been offered to him before and cried

******

Steve felt the thin body in his arms shake with the force of his sobs, glad they were alone in the locker room.His own heart quickened, hurting for Jesse, aching to ease his pain.He moved his hand to the back of Jesse’s head and stroked his soft hair, inhaling its sweet scent.Jesse uttered a small sigh at the comforting sensation and he relaxed in Steve’s embrace.

Then he pulled back, slowly, to stare up at Steve with a combination of curiosity and confusion. 

“Hey Travis!” The yell shattered the moment.“Conroy’s outta the OR, ‘K?”

Jesse wiped his eyes, stepping back and turning to the young man standing in the doorway, who seemed blissfully unaware.“Yeah, I’m coming.”He called back.

Steve waited a moment.Jesse looked apologetic and horribly embarrassed, but not in a bad way.“I have to go.”

Steve nodded and watched as Jesse walked away.

*****

“Steve!”

Lost in thought, Steve actually jumped at the sound of his own name being called.His father dropped into step beside him, looking flustered.Then he frowned, probably sensing his son’s mood.If Mark noticed the small damp patch darkening Steve’s shirt, he made no mention.

Steve found it hard to resist touching it.Touching Jesse’s tears…

It was like having a piece of the intern to carry with him.

“Are you all right?”Mark asked.

“Sure.”He smiled.

“I wanted to talk to you about David.”

“David?The assault victim?”

“Yes.He mentioned something.It’s probably nothing, but…”

Steve trusted his father’s instincts.“What is it?”

“He said one of his neighbours is a cop.Devetti.”Mark frowned, “and that he’d been responsible for a petition against him.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. Devetti’s pretty vocal about his dislike of gays.”

“Something about it bothers me.”

“OK, I’ll ask about.”

******

“Yeah, OK, thank you.”

Steve hung up the phone, looking frustrated and angry.Mark had only heard his son’s side of the conversation but he’d heard enough to know his instincts had been right.Again.

“Both  Denton and Lees know Devetti. Denton goes to the same gym and Lees says Devetti is a regular in his store.And neither of them hid the fact they were practising homosexuals.”He put his hands on his hips.“But that still doesn’t prove anything and I know for fact that Devetti was on duty, miles from the incidents when they were attacked.”

“Which at best makes him only an accessory.”

“Yeah, and even if Devetti was feeding Teal information about gays living in his area, there’s no way we could prove that was intentional, or that Devetti knew what Teal was going to do.”

Mark frowned.“You don’t have enough evidence to prosecute Teal for Keegan’s murder, do you?”

“No.And what we did have was contaminated by a faulty…” He stopped, looked at his father.“You think Devetti interfered with the bag to prevent Teal being jailed for murder?”

“It’s possible.If Teal had been convicted for the murder, he’d have nothing to lose in confessing Devetti’s part in identifying homosexuals for harassment.”

“Ok, so how do we prove it?”

Mark was silent.“Teal’s out on bail, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, I think we should go talk to him.”

*****

Steve watched Devetti over the top of his computer monitor.The shaggy haired detective was drinking a mug of strong, black coffee and munching on a surprisingly healthy looking bap, while tapping out a report with one finger.

When he finished his lunch, he screwed up the cellophane wrapper and walked to within chucking distance of the bin.

Steve leaned back in his chair; “there’s hope for Collins yet.”He said.

Devetti snorted.“Yeah?He change his own diaper?”

“No, he’s convinced Teal had help.Someone who supplied the info on just who was homosexual.”

“Makes sense. Collins got any leads?”

“Teal won’t talk so Collins and Bayder have gone to the DA to try to cut a deal for him is he co-operates.”

Steve didn’t miss the sudden narrowing of Devetti’s eyes.“Yeah?Think the DA’ll go for it?”

“We’ll find out in a couple of hours.”

Devetti shrugged, oh-so-casually.“Score one for the kid, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Devetti returned to his desk.He tapped on the computer keys a moment, before turning to the phone and placing a call.He spoke for a minute, then hung up.

Steve watched him grab his coat and head for the door.

He waited another five minutes before hurrying out to his car.He knew his father and Collins were already waiting outside Teal’s apartment but he didn’t want to lose sight of Divetti.

******

Collins had made noises of protest at ‘setting up’ one of their own, but he was still young and green enough to believe utterly in the ideals that made him sign up for police work to begin with.

Teal left his apartment, hurrying on foot towards the mall, unaware of the nondescript blue car following.

Teal stopped outside the ‘Palace’ games hall and lit up a cigarette, which pissed off Collins, who spent the next ten minutes telling Mark how much he was itching to cite him for breaking the anti-smoking laws.

Devetti arrived soon enough, and as Collins clicked away with his camera, Mark watched the cop yelling at Teal.After a short angry exchange, Devetti grabbed Teal and pushed him against the wall.Mark just had time to see the glint of a knife before Collins was out of the car.

“Freeze!” Collins yelled.“Drop it!”

Teal kicked out, and Devetti fell to the floor.The knife skittered along the ground, away from the detective.Teal looked panicked and ran.

A car cut him off, and Steve got out, gun raised.“Hands behind your head!”

Collins hauled Devetti to his feet.“You have the right-”

“Fuck you, Collins.”

Steve finished putting Teal in his car and came over.

Devetti spat at him.“I ain’t goin’ to jail, Sloan.There’s fags in jail.”

*****

It was nearly  midnight when Steve finished processing an increasingly venomous Devetti, who casually cast vitriolic doubt on Steve’s, Mark’s and Collin’s legitimacy, sexuality, humanity and loyalty to their country.His ears had actually rung from the noise after a while.

As he drove home, he found his thoughts, for what felt like the thousandth time that day, returning to Jesse and the heavy burden of guilt he’d carried with him all these years.Unconsciously, he turned off the main road to  Malibu and took a little detour to Jesse’s home.He was lucky enough to actually catch the young man going in the door of his apartment and he quickly parked his car.He grabbed something from the glove compartment and got out.

“Jesse!”

“Hey, Steve.”

“I…er…I got you this.”He said, holding out a folded leaflet.“I was going to give it to you tomorrow, but as I was passing…”

Jesse looked down at the item in his hand.It was an informational flyer for counselling, dealing particularly with survivors of intimidation and bullying.“Thanks.”He said, awkwardly.

“I’m just asking you to look through it.What you do after that is your decision.”

“Thanks.”And this time he meant it.“Erm, I’d ask you in, but…I’m kind of tired.”

“Yeah, me too.” He clapped Jesse on the shoulder.“’Night, Jess.”

******

** Ten Weeks Later… **

“Guilty!”The foreman of the jury words rang in the silent courtroom.

Devetti leapt to his feet, spinning around to Steve and Collins.“You bastards!”

Steve stood up, hating this man, not just for his intolerance, but for being a dirty cop. “Is this the part where you tell me I’ll be sorry?”

His eyes were wild.“You know what they do to cops in there!” 

He did, and he wouldn’t wish it on anyone.“I’m sorry.”He said, and meant it.

The security guards dragged him away.

*****

Steve went straight to Community General to inform his father of the verdict.He waited by the nurse’s station and watched Jesse emerge from a patient’s room some way down the corridor.Another intern, Richie Hayden, blocked Jesse’s path, spoke something to him.

Jesse met his gaze unflinchingly, stepping confidently forward.And then he pushed past Hayden and went on his way.

Steve smiled.

~~END~~


End file.
